Ligature winder, package, and method



Dec. 14 1926. 5 W

B. F. HIRSCH LIGATURE WINDER, PACKAGE, AND METHOD,

Filed Jan. 9, 1926 INVENTOR jerljaminilyirscfi Patented ec. 14,1526.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN r. mason, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, assmnon 'ro DAVIS & GEGK, me, or B OOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION or NEW YORK.

LIGLTURE WINDER, PACKAGE, AND METHOD.

Application filed January My invention consists in an improved holder or winder for surgical ligatures, sometimes called sutures; a package comprising a sealed vial enclosing a ligature wound upon such a winder, and usually a preserving, storing, or sterilizing liquid; and to a method of making such packages.

A leading object of the invention is to prevent twisting of the hanks'or skeins into which the gut or other ligatures are formed, under the influence of the sterilizing or other liquid, or for other reasons, by providing an improved winder of non-metallic, fibrous, sheet material, which is non-corrosible and neutral to the liquid, and has other definite advantages, sufiiciently referred to below, in addition to properly supporting and preventing twisting of the ligature coil.

Another object is to provide such or other winders or holders with means for conveniently positioning or retaining one or both ends of the ligature, such means consisting, in one simple form, as here disclosed, in small holes provided in the winder through 2 which the ends of the ligature may be easily and quickly passed, and which then retain such ends and the entire coil or skein in the proper form, without risk of accidental displacement, but so that the ends and the en- 80 tire coil or skein may be easily and quickly removed or freed from the holder and the retaining holes when the ligature is to be used.

a Further, the Object is to provide a com- I plete package including the vial and contained liquid (when a liquid is used), and a. ligature upon its winder,

Further, the object is to provide a new and improved method of producing this 40 package.

The characteristics and advantages of the invention .are further sufficiently explained in connection with the following detail description of the accompanying drawing,

4! which shows one representative embodiment of the invention. After considering this example, skilled persons will understand that many variations may be made, and I contemplate the employment of any structures that are'properly within the scope of the appended claims. I

Fig. 1 is'a perspective v ew of a winder embodying one-part of the invention in one form.

9, 1926. Serial mfsoasa.

coiled in one way or another upon glass 4 forms or holders, and placed Within a sealed vial, with or without a suitable sterilizing, preserving or storing liquid. These glass holders are relatively heavy and hard and are there [ore likely to crack the vial, and are themselves brittle and liable to breakage. They are also inflexible and cannot be manipulated for the removal of the suture in the convenient manner hereafter referred to. It is impracticable to use metal for this purpose because, in addition to the objections above noted in connection with glass, metals are subject to attack and corrosion by the sterilizing or other liquid,and this would in turn injuriously afi'ectthe ligatures.

,& hen a coiled or skeined ligature is placed in the vial with sterilizing or other liquid, the entire coil or skein tends to twist, usually into several complete turns, this probably being due to action of the water component of the liquid upon the gut. This is very annoying to surgeons in using the ligatures, as considerable delay is involved in untwisting the hank, and the manipulation is also likely to impair its aseptic condition.

I avoid the stated and other existing difficulties and disadvantagesof previous arrangements and methods, by providin an improved winder W, Fig. 1, the specific orm of which may vary considerably, but which conveniently consists of a single, flat iece of fibrous sheet material which is neutra to the sterilizing or other liquid and also substan-' tially or sufiiciently non-absorbent to main tain its form unless intentionally; deformed, as later referred to. More particularly this winder may consist ofia '-chemicallyhy-- drated cotton cellulose, which isf-commercially available.' This material has the desirable' qualities above stated. It is also very light and not hard in the sense that metals and glass are hard, so that impact with the ends of the vial cannot cause breakage. .The ends-are desirably provided with concave curvatures or indentations 1, to aid in retaining the gut ligature L, (or, of course, in some cases other ligatures, such as silk, may be used) which is wound length- -wise on the holder in the form of a compact, long coil or skein, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.

Fig. 5 shows one manner of winding, in

which one end is left free, as at 2, ready for nick and easy unwinding. In many cases,

' t e ligature is sufficiently retained upon the winder, especially after it is placed'in the tube or vial, without special retaining means. Inxother cases, however, it is desirable to provide means for definitely but detachably at the beginning of the "winding operation,

substantiall as shown in Fig. 2. This aids claims: The material in this particular instance is a particularly treated or processed fibre. It is made by reduction of suitable cotton rag stock, in accordance with usual 7 p in the win ing by retaining the initial or I as proper strai inner end. of the ligature upon the winder with suflicient definiteness, while the winding is commenced, and then the final or outer end is passed through the other hole and retains this end portion and the entire llgature 1n coiled or skeined form upon the winder, without risk [of accidental displacement. The ends may, however, be easily removed placed in the usual vial V, having the usual reakage in an obvious way, and the ligature removed line 3, scratched or etched thereon, the sterilizing or other liquid S inserted and the vial sealed and treated for sterilization in any usual or suitable way. The holder evidently retains the coiled suture 1n proper, form, with the turns maintained n the ht, parallel relation, and twistin is entire y prevented and the ligature is -ot erwise kept in'perfect condition, ready 00 I This mode of release consists simply in for immediate and convenient use.

Fi .Asutficiently illustrates one way in whic the holder or stated characteristics ma be quickly and easily removedfrom the co ed li ture, after the holder w1th the ligature ave been removed from the vial.

bending the holder transversely, at or near the middle, fsufliciently to permit it to be uicklj which can from the turnsof the ligature,- i

easily uncoiled without tively 'thm piece of non-metalllc, fibrous sheet paper making methods. The wet stock is sheeted and the sheets then treated with zinc chloride acid, usually about 67 to 72 Baum test to substantially vulcanize the sheet and render it practically homogeneous. The sheets are then leached sufficiently to remove the acid and dried, and rolled or calendered if necessary, to produce the desired surface finish, unity and density.

I claim:

l. A holder or winder for surgical sutures or ligatures consisting of a long, fiat, relatively thin piece of chemically hydrated (iotton cellulose, substantially neutral to suture preserving and sterilizing liquids and having its ends shaped to receive and hold a ligature in the form of a long fiat coil, and serving to prevent twisting of the coiled ligature.

2. A ligature package comprising a vial and enclosed therein a liquid of the character specified and'a surgical ligature coiled in a long skein, upon a holder consisting of a long, flat and relatively thin piece of nonmetallic fibrous sheet material which is substantially neutral to and unaffected by said liquid and has its ends shaped to retain the ligature, the holder also preventing twisting ot the ligature.

3. A ligature package comprising a vial and-enclosed therein a liquid of the character named and a surgical suture or ligature 4. A ligature package comprising a vial A and enclosed therein a liquid of the classes named and a surgical suture or ligature coiled in @long skein, upon a holder consisting of a long, fiat and relatively thin piece of non-metallic fibrous sheet material, substantially neutral to the liquid, having its ends shaped to retain the ligature, the holder also preventing twisting of the ligature.

5. A holder or winder for surgical sutures or ligatures consisting ofv a long, flat, relamaterial. substantially neutral to a suture mit of quick removal of the coiled ligature sterlizing or preserving liquid and having its by bending of the holder. ends indented to receive and hold a surgical Signed at- Brooklyn, in the county of 10 ligature in the form of a long fiat coil, and and State of New York, this 31st day 5 serving to prevent twisting of the coiled ligaof December A. D. 1925.

ture, the holder being of substantial strength and stillness, but flexible or bendable to ad- BENJAMIN F. HIRSOH. 

